We lost another player just before the break. It was a three-way raised pot, with the flop coming down . Diwei Huang was first to act from the big blind. He checked to Jung Hyun Choi, who bet 20,000, enough to fold the third player in the hand. With action back to Huang, he check-raised to 70,000. Choi didn't hesitate long before he shoved all in for 250,000, sending Huang deep into the tank. He finally called.
Choi:
Huang:
It was top pair, top kicker for Huang against nothing but a gutshot draw and some imagination from Choi. The board bricked out running fives, , to send Choi to the rail and make Huang the far and away chip leader with about 860,000.
A big three-way all in on Table 2 has resulted in two eliminations. Kevin MacPhee opened for 15,000 preflop from under the gun. His eyes must have widened in delight when Kenny Hicks moved all in for 131,000 from the button and Mudasser Khan called all in for 50,000. MacPhee snap-called with . He was up against held by Hicks and held by Khan. The board straightened to make an eight-high straight for Hicks to eliminate both Khan and MacPhee.
Both MacPhee and Khan earned $9,725. Hicks is now among the chip leaders with 345,000.
Ole Steinvik has been eliminated from the field. He was involved in a three-way pot that was raised from early position to 13,000 by Kenny Hicks, and then called by David Chiu from the button. Steinvik called as well from the big blind.
The flop was big and well-connected, . Steinvik executed a stop-and-go against his two opponents by immediately moving all in for 50,000. That was enough to fold Hicks. Chiu went into the tank for a minute before calling. It turned out that he had a very similar hand to Steinvik.
Steinvik:
Chiu:
Both players were on the same heart draw, but Chiu's draw was bigger. The turn and river blanked out to allow Chiu to win the pot with his naked ace and knock out Steinvik.
Adrian Mills' hopes of making the final table are still alive thanks to a double-up through Jung Hyun Choi. Choi made it 15,000 to go preflop from early position. When action folded to Mills, he squeezed in the hole and quickly moved all in for 88,000. Choi made the call, and for once it wasn't a pocket pair versus two overcards -- Choi showed . The flop came , no help to either player. The turn gave Mills a lock on the hand when he made a set with the and then filled up on the river with the .
Mills now has 186,000. Choi is not hurting for chips -- he has 386,000.
Carter Gill is another short stack to double up in a recent hand. Diwei Huang opened the action to 15,000 from early position, before Gill moved all in for 72,000. Jung Hyun Choi then made it 150,000 to go from the cutoff, forcing everyone else out of the pot.
Choi flipped to be well in front of Gill's ; however an ace on the flop on a board of was enough for Gill to more than double up. He now sits comfortably with 170,000 in chips.